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Can Asthma Cause Fatigue And Tiredness

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What Asthma Treatment Options Are There

Asthma Causes Tiredness and Anxiety

You have options to help manage your asthma. Your healthcare provider may prescribe medications to control symptoms. These include:

  • Anti-inflammatory medicines: These medicines reduce swelling and mucus production in your airways. They make it easier for air to enter and exit your lungs. Your healthcare provider may prescribe them to take every day to control or prevent your symptoms.
  • Bronchodilators: These medicines relax the muscles around your airways. The relaxed muscles let the airways move air. They also let mucus move more easily through the airways. These medicines relieve your symptoms when they happen.
  • Biologic therapies for asthma when symptoms persist despite being on proper inhaler therapy.

You can take asthma medicines in several different ways. You may breathe in the medicines using a metered-dose inhaler, nebulizer or other inhaler. Your healthcare provider may prescribe oral medications that you swallow.

Fatigue Can Occur After A Flare

Response from Theresa Cannizzarro, RT:

Yes! While fatigue isnt one of the more common asthma symptoms, it definitely can happen. When your body is working harder to breathe, it makes your body tired. Your body is having to compensate to bring more oxygenated blood from your lungs to the rest of your body so, in turn, you feel overall fatigued. Also, after a significant asthma flare-up, you may feel pretty fatigued for a period of time while your body recovers to its normal healthy state.1,2

Side Effects Of Steroid Tablets

Oral steroids carry a risk if they are taken for more than three months or if they are taken frequently . Side effects can include:

  • muscle weakness

With the exception of increased appetite, which is very commonly experienced by people taking oral steroids, most of these unwanted effects are uncommon.

However, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for them regularly, especially side effects that are not immediately obvious, such as high blood pressure, thinning of the bones, diabetes and glaucoma.

You will need regular appointments to check for these.

Read further information:

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How Can Adult Onset Asthma Be Managed

If you manage your asthma, you can expect to lead a normal lifestyle. Basically, there are four key steps to managing asthma successfully:

1. Learn about asthma and stay up-to-date on new developments.

2. Take prescribed medications. Dont make any changes until you check with your physician. Dont use over- the-counter medications unless prescribed by your physician!

3. Check your lungs daily at home by using a peak flow meter. Asthma patients often can detect lung changes with a peak flow meter before they actually experience any changes. Visit your physician regularly for further in-office tests. Lung testing is painless and provides valuable data that helps your physician make adjustments in your medication.

4. Make an asthma management plan with your physician. A plan establishes guidelines that tell you what to do if your asthma symptoms get worse.

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How Common Are Migraine Episodes In People With Asthma

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In a , researchers looked at eight studies with close to 400,000 participants. They found that being diagnosed with either migraine or asthma was associated with an increased chance of having the other condition:

  • People with asthma were 62% more likely to have migraine than people without asthma.
  • People with migraine had a 56% higher chance of having asthma than people without migraine.

In a 2021 research review , researchers identified some limitations to this 2018 study, such as including studies examining both headaches and migraine instead of just migraine.

Still, in the newer research, they found that people with asthma had an 85% higher chance of developing migraine than people without asthma.

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Reducing The Burden Of Asthma

Asthma cannot be cured, but good management with inhaled medications can control the disease and enable people with asthma to enjoy a normal, active life.

There are two main types of inhaler:

  • bronchodilators , that open the air passages and relieve symptoms and
  • steroids , that reduce inflammation in the air passages. This improves asthma symptoms and reduces the risk of severe asthma attacks and death.

People with asthma may need to use their inhaler every day. Their treatment will depend on the frequency of symptoms and the different types of inhalers available.

It can be difficult to coordinate breathing using an inhaler, especially for children and during emergency situations. Using a spacer device makes it easier to use an aerosol inhaler and helps the medicine to reach the lungs more effectively. A spacer is a plastic container with a mouthpiece or mask at one end and a hole for the inhaler in the other. A homemade spacer, made from a 500ml plastic bottle, can be as effective as a commercially manufactured inhaler.

Access to inhalers is a problem in many countries. In 2021, bronchodilators were available in public primary health care facilities in half of low- and low-middle income countries, and steroid inhalers available in one third.

How Long Does It Take To Recover From A Severe Asthma Attack

The amount of time required to recover from a severe asthma attack is highly variable among people. Studies show that people who have other underlying health conditions tend to take longer to recover. One study suggests an average recovery time of 1.7 weeks.

Some individuals require supplemental oxygen after a severe asthma attack. Blood oxygen levels can be measured using a saturation monitor, and if your levels are below 90% , you will need extra oxygen.

In addition to supplemental oxygen, a wide variety of medications may be used to decrease inflammation in the bronchioles and open the airways. These include inhaled or oral corticosteroids, such as Qvar , Flovent HFA , EntocortEC , and Asmanex .

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Who’s More Likely To Require A Hospital Stay

Depending on your individual circumstances, it can take days to weeks to recover from a severe asthma attack.

At this time, your healthcare provider is likely to perform pulmonary function tests to see how well your lungs are responding. A lower reading of FEV1 is associated with a longer recovery time.

People who need higher levels of supplemental oxygen tend to be hospitalized for longer periods of time. You will likely need to be weaned off of oxygen before you are discharged home.

Other factors that may require a longer hospitalization include:

  • Chronic health conditions, such as poor underlying lung function, COPD , obesity, sleep apnea, chronic smoking, or heart conditions
  • Not adhering to your asthma medications
  • If you have a viral infection that triggered the attack, such as RSV or the flu

Environmental And Other Factors

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Environmental factors like air pollution may also play a role in the relationship between migraine and asthma.

In a 2018 study, researchers found that higher rates of people were seeking hospital treatment for migraine with increased air pollution. Air pollution can also trigger asthma symptoms.

Sleep disorders may also to both conditions. Poor sleep is very common among people with asthma and has consistently been associated with migraine.

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Asthma And Fatigue What Is The Connection

Asthma is well known to cause wheezing, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness. But there are many other symptoms associated with this condition. Beyond just feeling tired, people with asthma often experience chronic, persistent fatigue. Fatigue also makes asthma worse, creating a vicious cycle. What is the connection between asthma and fatigue? Lets review this connection, and also tips to cope with fatigue in this article.

How To Prevent Asthma Symptoms At Night

Using your preventer inhaler every day, as prescribed, will build up protection in your airways and keep your asthma symptoms under control, so theyre less likely to wake you at night.

Its very important to:

  • use your written asthma action plan to help you understand how to manage your symptoms and what to do if they get worse.
  • go for regular asthma reviews with your GP or asthma nurse. They can check youre using your inhalers correctly. Its also a chance to talk about any triggers that might be affecting your sleep.

Does your child wake up at night from asthma symptoms? Read our advice on asthma and your childs sleep.

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The Relationship Between Asthma And Fatigue

Working hard to breathe requires a lot of energy. With asthma, there are many times you may be working hard without even realizing it, particularly if you have been living with this condition for a long time.

You may be worried about how your illness is affecting you and your loved ones and the impacts it will have in the future. Stress is exhausting couple the stress of living with a chronic condition with the ordinary burdens of everyday life and it is no wonder you are fatigued.

Many people who suffer from asthma are also plagued with anxiety and depression. Both of these conditions drain your energy. Sleeplessness, medication and infections may cause fatigue as well.

If your asthma fatigue is ongoing or difficult to relieve, consult your healthcare provider. It could even be unrelated to your asthma, in which case it is important you get to your doctors right away to determine treatment.

Uncontrolled Or Frequent Symptoms

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Uncontrolled asthma is earmarked by daily symptoms, such as shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing. It is associated with respiratory disturbance, sleep disturbance, and nighttime flare-ups, all of which can cause daytime tiredness.

One 2013 on children found that those who had frequent asthmatic symptoms experienced daytime fatigue more often than those with occasional or no symptoms. This finding was independent of each childs sleep quality or the amount of time spent in bed.

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Health Effects Of Smoke Exposure Due To Wildland Fires

How does smoke in the air affect my health?

How smoke conditions may affect your health is determined by a number of factors, such as the length of time you are exposed, how much air you breathe in, your health status and the concentration of smoke in the air.

Smoke is made up of a number of components. The unhealthiest material in wildland fire smoke is the small particles . They may make it harder to breathe or make you cough. These small particles can also make existing heart and lung conditions worse.

Who is most at risk from exposure to smoke?

Young children, the elderly, and people with heart or lung conditions, like asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and congestive heart failure are more sensitive to the adverse effects of exposure to smoke. People participating in sports or strenuous work outdoors may also be more susceptible, because they are breathing air deeply and rapidly. Risks increase when smoke becomes heavier and as the length of time a person is exposed increases.

What are the symptoms of smoke exposure?

Exposure to smoke can cause sore eyes, tears, cough and a runny nose. If the smoke lasts days to weeks or is very heavy, it can cause lung problems and a longer-lasting cough. Exposure to smoke can also make heart and lung conditions worse.

What should I do if Im concerned about smoke?

Manitobans who are concerned about smoke can take the following precautions:

People with heart or lung conditions, including asthma, can also do the following:

What Are The Treatments For Asthma

If you have asthma, you will work with your health care provider to create a treatment plan. The plan will include ways to manage your asthma symptoms and prevent asthma attacks. It will include:

  • Strategies to avoid triggers. For example, if tobacco smoke is a trigger for you, you should not smoke or allow other people to smoke in your home or car.
  • Short-term relief medicines, also called quick-relief medicines. They help prevent symptoms or relieve symptoms during an asthma attack. They include an inhaler to carry with you all the time. It may also include other types of medicines which work quickly to help open your airways.
  • Control medicines. You take them every day to help prevent symptoms. They work by reducing airway inflammation and preventing narrowing of the airways.

If you have a severe attack and the short-term relief medicines do not work, you will need emergency care.

Your provider may adjust your treatment until asthma symptoms are controlled.

Sometimes asthma is severe and cannot be controlled with other treatments. If you are an adult with uncontrolled asthma, in some cases your provider might suggest bronchial thermoplasty. This is a procedure that uses heat to shrink the smooth muscle in the lungs. Shrinking the muscle reduces your airway’s ability to tighten and allows you to breathe more easily. The procedure has some risks, so it’s important to discuss them with your provider.

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How Do You Know If Your Asthma Is Mild Moderate Or Severe

Asthma severity is typically classified as intermittent, mild, moderate, and severe. While there are several factors that play into the classification, here are some general guidelines:

  • Intermittent asthma typically means your symptoms occur less than twice a week.
  • If you have mild asthma, these symptoms might happen twice a week or more, but not daily.
  • With moderate asthma, you can experience symptoms every day, but you wont regularly have multiple flares.
  • Severe asthma is uncontrolled, meaning symptoms kick in virtually every day, several times a day despite regular medication.

While mild and moderate asthma usually improves with treatment, thats not typically the case with severe asthma.

Know About Unusual Asthma Symptoms

Fatigue, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

Not everyone with asthma has the usual symptoms of cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Sometimes individuals have unusual asthma symptoms that may not appear to be related to asthma. Some “unusual” asthma symptoms may include the following:

  • rapid breathing
  • difficulty sleeping or nighttime asthma
  • chronic cough without wheezing

Also, asthma symptoms can be mimicked by other conditions such as bronchitis, vocal cord dysfunction, and even heart failure.

It’s important to understand your body. Talk with your asthma doctor and others with asthma. Be aware that asthma may not always have the same symptoms in every person.

For more detail, see WebMDâs article Unusual Asthma Symptoms.

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How To Recover From A Severe Asthma Attack

Some tips to recover from a severe asthma attack include:

  • Rest: Having a severe asthma attack can be scary and stressful. The stress response can result in fatigue. It takes time and rest for your body to recover.
  • Book a follow-up appointment: This is an opportunity to ensure that your asthma action plan is as up-to-date and effective as possible. Your healthcare provider can review the conditions that led to your asthma attack and adjust your medications or make suggestions that can help you to avoid future attacks.
  • Take medications as prescribed: Poor adherence to medications has been identified as a trigger for asthma attacks and a factor that leads to a more difficult recovery. If you have questions or concerns about your medications, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
  • Do not overexert yourself: You may find yourself becoming tired after even a small amount of exercise or movement. This is common after a severe asthma attack. Give it time and listen to your body.

Allergies And Chronic Fatigue

It is not uncommon for a person who suffers from allergies to also suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome . Symptoms of CFS include extreme exhaustion that does not have any known cause. The first step is to talk to your doctor so they can assess for potential illnesses. If they cannot find the cause, then your next step should be to take to an allergist.

Why? Because it is often the case that a person with CFS has an over-sensitive immune system. When you consider that allergies can be caused by over-sensitive immune systems, it is easy to see that why the conditions often exist together. It is often the case that by treating allergies, fatigue can be reduced. Other things can affect both fatigue and allergies, such as mold spores and other environmental irritants.

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What Should I Do If I Think I Have Asthma

If you suspect you might have asthma, you should see your doctor for a professional diagnosis. Dont ignore it if you do have asthma, the sooner you get it under control, the faster you can get back to living a full and active life. For more information on how Asthma Australia is helping people with asthma to breathe so they can live freely, visit About Us.

How Do You Monitor Asthma Symptoms

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Monitoring your asthma symptoms is an essential piece of managing the disease. Your healthcare provider may have you use a peak flow meter. This device measures how fast you can blow air out of your lungs. It can help your provider make adjustments to your medication. It also tells you if your symptoms are getting worse.

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What Is A Severe Asthma Attack

Severe asthma is asthma that does not respond well to typical asthma treatments.

The body’s response to severe asthma involves inflammation and constriction of the bronchioles . This narrowing of the airways makes it difficult to breathe and can cause a distinct sound called wheezing.

Severe asthma is classified based on several factors, including what symptoms are present, whether the attack responds to medication, and how long the attack lasts.

Causes And Triggers Of Asthma

Asthma is caused by swelling of the breathing tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. This makes the tubes highly sensitive, so they temporarily narrow.

It may happen randomly or after exposure to a trigger.

Common asthma triggers include:

  • smoke, pollution and cold air
  • infections like colds or flu

Identifying and avoiding your asthma triggers can help you keep your symptoms under control.

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